Voices from Within: A Collaboration of Quincy College, the Plymouth Country Correctional Facility, and Plymouth Library

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1 For Immediate Release: March 31, 2017 Media Contact: (for media inquiries only) Taggart Boyle, Quincy College, , Katy Johnson, Quincy College, , Jennifer C. Harris, Plymouth Public Library, x215, William Mullin, Plymouth County Sheriff's Office, Voices from Within: A Collaboration of Quincy College, the Plymouth Country Correctional Facility, and Plymouth Library April 12th Voices From Within Poetry Reading to be held at Plymouth Public Library featuring Quincy College students and Plymouth County Correctional Facility (PCCF) inmate poetry Social Media Release (140 Characters):.@QuincyCollege.@PlymouthLibrary &.@PlymouthSheriff launch poetry collab for #students, #inmates & community. Poetry Reading on April 12th. Press Release Abstract Plymouth, MA (3/1/2017) - Quincy College, in coordination with the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department and the Plymouth Public Library, is expanding a unique poetry program for students, inmates and the greater community exploring self-reflective poetry in a two-part event on April 12th. This is first of three planned collaborations between Quincy College, the Plymouth Library, and the PCCF in 2017 bringing poetry and other works of literature to the greater Plymouth community. Full Press Release Details In honor of April as National Poetry Month, students from Quincy College at Plymouth will have the opportunity to visit the Plymouth County Correction Facility (PCCF), under the supervision of the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department and Quincy College Instructor of English and Humanities Dr. Laurel Kornhiser's guidance, to discuss the expression of personal experience in poetry with the inmates at PCCF. As part of the program, Quincy College English Composition II students will spend ninety to one hundred and twenty minutes reading and discussing a select

2 group of poems on April 12, Prior to this meeting, the students and inmates will be notified of the list of poems they will be expected to read; the inmates will read the same poems on their own. Dr. Kornhiser reflects on the Voices from Within Program: "Building on the success of last fall's 'Poe-try' collaboration, 'Voices from Within' will see students and inmates discussing canonical works that explore self and identity, including poems by Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Derek Walcott, and Maya Angelou, as well as sharing original poems of their own. The theme of this program was inspired by Peace from Within, a multi-week course for incarcerated men out of which came a collection of poetry called I Am. The collection of I Am poems were compiled into a book by the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute. The titles of the inmates' work speak volumes: 'I Am Wise But Lost,' 'I am flawed but healing,' 'I am sad and alone,' 'I am loved and special. 'It is the program's goal to reflect shared experiences, feelings, and reveal connections across all members of our communities. Dr. Kornhiser further elaborates on the collaboration of Quincy College, Plymouth Public Library, and Plymouth County Sheriff's Office: "We are so thankful for the opportunity to continue working with the staff at the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department and the Plymouth Public Library and appreciate as well as our own Quincy College students and the inmates at PCCF for supporting this dynamic program, We look forward to bringing poetry to the Plymouth and surrounding communities." Reflecting on the value of the Voices from Within poetry program for inmates at Plymouth County Correctional Facility, Sheriff Joseph McDonald states: " We are fortunate for the opportunity to collaborate with the staff and administration at Quincy College at Plymouth and the Plymouth Public Library on this program. We continue to develop innovative approaches to engage the men in our custody to improve their re-entry into our community upon their release." Following the April 12th visit to PCCF, at 4pm that afternoon, the Quincy College community and staff from the PCCF will join members of the Plymouth Library to share some of these poems with the larger community through a poetry reading that will also include students, staff, librarians, and community members sharing their original work. South Shore community members are welcome to attend the Voices from Within Poetry Reading at the Plymouth Public Library, as well as anyone who wishes to read a poem of their choosing. During this event, the Quincy College students who participated in reading poetry with selected inmates at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility will share their experiences. "The Plymouth Public Library is so pleased to further the work we did in October 2016 collaborating with Quincy College and the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department. As April is traditionally "National Poetry Month" celebrated by the American Library Association, the Library hosts a selection of poetry readings throughout the month. We were excited to include the "Voices from Within" afternoon program at the Library on April 12th at 4 pm as these programs encourage poetry being read throughout the Plymouth community," Rebecca Harris, Director of Plymouth Public Library. "In addition to the April 12 th event, hosted in collaboration with Quincy College at Plymouth and the Plymouth County Sheriff's office, we will be hosting a reading by Tidepool Poets on Wednesday, April 19 at 7 p.m. as well as Robert Knox, Boston Globe correspondent, from his

3 new chapbook entitled "Gardeners Do It With Their Hands Dirty" on Monday, April 24 at 7 p.m. All programs are free and are located in the Otto Fehlow Meeting room. Remember, if you cannot attend our readings, we suggest you take a moment, pull out a favorite Walt Whitman poem, or Billy Collins and enjoy the flow of words during National Poetry Month," Harris elaborates. The Voices from Within poetry event builds upon the previous success of a collaboration between Quincy College, the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department and the Plymouth Public Library. A similar event was held in October 2016, highlighting the works of Edgar Allan Poe. This poetry collaboration will be featured at the Mass Library Day at the State House and the MLA Day on the Hill this year. In addition, the Plymouth Public Library is submitting the collaboration for a Massachusetts Library Association Annual Press Release award; winners to be announced at the MLA Conference on May 22, 2017 in Hyannis. The collaboration was also highlighted in the Town of Plymouth Annual Report, 2016, Library Dept. report. For more information on this event, please contact the Plymouth Public Library at ### About Quincy College Founded in 1958, Quincy College is a two-year, municipally affiliated community college serving approximately 4,500 students at campuses located in Quincy and Plymouth, Massachusetts. Quincy College is an open access institution that encourages academic achievement and excellence, diversity, economic opportunity, community involvement, and lifelong learning. The College facilitates valuable learning relationships that inspire students to realize their educational and professional futures. The college offers 35 associate degree programs and 21 certificate programs in a variety of disciplines, including those within Professional Programs, Liberal Arts, Natural & Health Sciences and Nursing. The college is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and is licensed by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education to grant the degrees of Associate in Arts and Associate in Science. The college draws a diversity of students from the greater Boston area as well as 121 countries around the world. For additional information, visit

4 Watch the Quincy College Experience About Plymouth County Sheriff's Office The Plymouth County Correctional Facility (PCCF) houses approximately 1,650 inmates, making it the largest correctional facility under one roof in New England. The jail holds a diverse male inmate population, including county, state and federal prisoners. Some have been sentenced; others are awaiting trial. Opened in 1994, PCCF's design and operation reflects contemporary corrections management practices. PCCF is accredited by the American Correctional Association and in its most recent compliance audit the facility received a 100% score through county public safety efforts. The department also supports its K-9, Warrant Apprehension and Honor Guard. The Communications Department coordinates all fire mutual aid in the county, serves as the communications link between paramedics and hospitals, and provides communications services at the scene of major events. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation assists local police in collecting and analyzing evidence from crime scenes, and in photographing major traffic accident scenes. All public safety support services are provided at the request of local police and fire departments. The Civil Process Department, headquartered in Brockton, dispatches deputies to serve legal documents in civil cases. Fees paid by attorneys and plaintiffs for delivery of these documents fund the division's operation. Today, the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department employs more than 500 professional people, making it one of the largest employers in Plymouth County.

5 About Plymouth Public Library Serving the community since 1857, the mission of the Plymouth Public Library is to select, acquire, organize, preserve and make conveniently accessible services and a collection of materials, in various formats, held in common by the people of Plymouth for their education, cultural, recreational and informational needs and interests. The library is among the 29 member libraries belonging to the Old Colony Library Network (OCLN), which circulated almost 6 million titles last year alone. Intralibrary delivery brings these items to your local library. An integral part of municipal government, the library supports lifelong learning and the reading enjoyment of the community. For more information, visit: